Mutual Trust
With a Friend, Or Without
The other day I thought about chatting with this man
It had been many years, since last we communicated
Not by design
Without malice, we just hadn’t given it thought
For some reason, comfort still existed
When I spoke, he might listen
And if he spoke, I would listen as well
Remembering, recalling our lives
From way back when first we met
Wasn’t about ourselves today, as we are,
More likely when two young boys
Took their best shot at growing up
Many things from yesterday’s
Beach, sand, getting a tan
Burning red skin
At play, always laughing
Was our way to understand
Never spoke of the negative
Wasn’t part of our plan
There was no need for plans yesterday
Us, boys, certainly not yet men
Young and brand new
We couldn’t wear out, it was our credo, we thought
No noticeable perils at hand, calm seas, quiet skies
Without warning, days upon days flashed quickly by
No premonitions of the days to come
Suddenness was the word
I wore a uniform now, and carried a flag
Marched with many others like me
Drums beating as we stepped forward
Then traveling with winds blowing
Across a troubling sea
Being a man didn’t occur to me
A new storm had brewed for my friend and I
He had never come by
It was time to call him, that friend of mine
To compare notes of what was traveling by
For reasons unknown we had drifted apart
My trusted friend and I
From boys we became men
He remained in my heart
Waiting, I sat there alone
Where we had agreed to meet
It had all changed
So different now
Faces were old
Steps no longer bold
Not much smiling there to behold
What has grabbed us all
Each human is being touched
All are feverish over this specter
What to do, I’d ask my friend
If he ever showed
Think of the new, he might reply
This putrid hazard of life is soon to pass
Like life itself, I offered
I knew he would agree
As when we were young
For my trusted friend and I
The skies cleared
The storm lost power
Without notice, days flashed by again
With no perils at hand, calm seas, quiet skies
Venturing out, my friend and I, if he showed
Don’t forget your mask, my trusted friend might tell me
If he ever showed
Nor you, I’d reply
I looked around before taking leave
The skies shown blue, a glistening sun appeared
None wore masks now, there was no need
The time had come to think to myself: What if this virus ended tomorrow?
For all the people, with kids in this park
Each and every one smiling together
Oh no, what am I to do?
Nothing to worry about
Wait a minute, there’s not a minute to lose
Got to run over to Gelson’s
Before the turkeys run out!
HK